Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Interview with Senator John Edwards
Aired January 12, 2004 - 07:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go back to politics now. The polls say John Edwards is no better than fourth among the Democrats who want to be president. But the North Carolina senator believes he's a player in the battle for Iowa. The Edwards campaign got a boost yesterday when the state's largest newspaper, the "Des Moines Register," gave him its endorsement.
Senator Edwards our guest this morning from Des Moines.
Nice to see you, Senator.
Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good morning, Bill.
Glad to be with you.
HEMMER: You picked up endorsement from the "Des Moines Register," yet the latest survey from the "L.A. Times" still has you running fourth at just about 11 percent.
What does the paper see in you as a candidate that voters so far have not?
EDWARDS: Well, the voters are seeing it. There's been a dramatic upsurge here in my campaign and we go to these events now, instead of being 50 people, which is what we expect, there are 200, 300, 400, 500 in some cases. And we've seen an enormous amount of energy. And I think what the paper sees and the caucus goers are now seeing is that I'm talking about a positive vision for this country to get rid of the two Americas that we still have, in many ways, and build one America -- one school system, one health care system that works for everybody.
And I think voters are responding to that, that positive uplifting vision.
HEMMER: You know, the other thing we're seeing from voters, though, anywhere from 25 percent to 40 percent say they could still change their mind some time over the next week.
If that's the case...
EDWARDS: Yes.
HEMMER: ... what does that say about the field of candidates right now?
EDWARDS: Oh, it says this is absolutely normal. I think that's true, by the way. I think at a minimum it's that number. I mean when I go to these events, a huge percentage of them are people who are there trying to make a final decision. And so my job is, during this last week, is to close. I have to convince them that I should be the nominee and that's what I'm out there doing every day, talking about how I'm the best candidate to beat George Bush, how I've been getting ready for this fight my entire life and transitioning to what I will do as president of the United States.
That's what every one of these events that I do many of every day here in Iowa are about.
HEMMER: Senator, excuse me for a second. You say this is what you've been trying to do all your life?
EDWARDS: No, I said -- no, what I said was my job in the last week is to convey to these voters why I should be president and then I explain to them this fight is one that I've been preparing for my entire life and it's one that I believe I can win because I can compete with George Bush everywhere it counts.
HEMMER: The suggestion there is that you've wanted the White House since you were a young child.
Clarify this just a little bit.
EDWARDS: No, no I wasn't...
HEMMER: A one time senator with a trial lawyer background. Many people say in a time of war, with the war on terror, that you're too far from the flames to take the White House.
Your response to that is what?
EDWARDS: My response is it's not true. What the American people are looking for is someone who understands what's happening around the world. My service on the Intelligence Committee investigating September 11; meeting with leaders in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Middle East, Europe, other parts of the world; our security operations in those parts of the world. But more importantly, having the kind of judgment that the American people are looking for. I mean they look -- they're looking for somebody that they feel confident of, who has a sure hand, a steady hand and who understands what America's role in the world is.
HEMMER: Senator, conventional wisdom in Iowa suggests that you would draw votes away from Dick Gephardt, now running second to Governor Dean, which, in effect, would help the Vermont governor.
Do you buy that logic, that theory?
EDWARDS: No. No, I don't. I think the world is not that simple. What I see at these caucus events that I have many of every day are people who are trying to decide between two or three candidates, some of whom are making their final decisions. And some of the people come up to me after an event, like I had events yesterday where people came to me afterwards and said I was for Governor Dean, now I'm for you, I've decided to support you.
And so I think the people are moving. I think it's a -- honestly, it's a very fluid race in Iowa. These caucus goers take this very seriously.
HEMMER: In the short time I have left, last night in the debate you were hit pretty hard by Carol Moseley Braun, saying that you voted in favor too many times of proposals that walked right in line with the White House.
How do you differentiate yourself, then, from the president right now in what you see as a different America if elected president?
EDWARDS: Well, first, those facts -- those facts were not accurate. It turns out that, at least according to the "Congressional Quarterly," that I think I was first among the United States senators over the last year in voting against what President Bush wanted to do.
But beyond that, and more importantly, I just have a very different vision of this country. I mean what happens is President Bush is perpetuating the two Americas we have in this country, you know, two tax systems, two health care systems, two educational systems. And my whole campaign is about building one America with very specific ideas about how to accomplish that.
HEMMER: Senator, thanks.
We'll see you in Iowa in about a week's time.
Appreciate your time today.
John Edwards in Des Moines.
EDWARDS: I look forward to seeing you, Bill.
HEMMER: OK.
We'll also talk with John Kerry next hour here on AMERICAN MORNING, when he joins us live from the same state.
Stay tuned for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 12, 2004 - 07:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go back to politics now. The polls say John Edwards is no better than fourth among the Democrats who want to be president. But the North Carolina senator believes he's a player in the battle for Iowa. The Edwards campaign got a boost yesterday when the state's largest newspaper, the "Des Moines Register," gave him its endorsement.
Senator Edwards our guest this morning from Des Moines.
Nice to see you, Senator.
Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good morning, Bill.
Glad to be with you.
HEMMER: You picked up endorsement from the "Des Moines Register," yet the latest survey from the "L.A. Times" still has you running fourth at just about 11 percent.
What does the paper see in you as a candidate that voters so far have not?
EDWARDS: Well, the voters are seeing it. There's been a dramatic upsurge here in my campaign and we go to these events now, instead of being 50 people, which is what we expect, there are 200, 300, 400, 500 in some cases. And we've seen an enormous amount of energy. And I think what the paper sees and the caucus goers are now seeing is that I'm talking about a positive vision for this country to get rid of the two Americas that we still have, in many ways, and build one America -- one school system, one health care system that works for everybody.
And I think voters are responding to that, that positive uplifting vision.
HEMMER: You know, the other thing we're seeing from voters, though, anywhere from 25 percent to 40 percent say they could still change their mind some time over the next week.
If that's the case...
EDWARDS: Yes.
HEMMER: ... what does that say about the field of candidates right now?
EDWARDS: Oh, it says this is absolutely normal. I think that's true, by the way. I think at a minimum it's that number. I mean when I go to these events, a huge percentage of them are people who are there trying to make a final decision. And so my job is, during this last week, is to close. I have to convince them that I should be the nominee and that's what I'm out there doing every day, talking about how I'm the best candidate to beat George Bush, how I've been getting ready for this fight my entire life and transitioning to what I will do as president of the United States.
That's what every one of these events that I do many of every day here in Iowa are about.
HEMMER: Senator, excuse me for a second. You say this is what you've been trying to do all your life?
EDWARDS: No, I said -- no, what I said was my job in the last week is to convey to these voters why I should be president and then I explain to them this fight is one that I've been preparing for my entire life and it's one that I believe I can win because I can compete with George Bush everywhere it counts.
HEMMER: The suggestion there is that you've wanted the White House since you were a young child.
Clarify this just a little bit.
EDWARDS: No, no I wasn't...
HEMMER: A one time senator with a trial lawyer background. Many people say in a time of war, with the war on terror, that you're too far from the flames to take the White House.
Your response to that is what?
EDWARDS: My response is it's not true. What the American people are looking for is someone who understands what's happening around the world. My service on the Intelligence Committee investigating September 11; meeting with leaders in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Middle East, Europe, other parts of the world; our security operations in those parts of the world. But more importantly, having the kind of judgment that the American people are looking for. I mean they look -- they're looking for somebody that they feel confident of, who has a sure hand, a steady hand and who understands what America's role in the world is.
HEMMER: Senator, conventional wisdom in Iowa suggests that you would draw votes away from Dick Gephardt, now running second to Governor Dean, which, in effect, would help the Vermont governor.
Do you buy that logic, that theory?
EDWARDS: No. No, I don't. I think the world is not that simple. What I see at these caucus events that I have many of every day are people who are trying to decide between two or three candidates, some of whom are making their final decisions. And some of the people come up to me after an event, like I had events yesterday where people came to me afterwards and said I was for Governor Dean, now I'm for you, I've decided to support you.
And so I think the people are moving. I think it's a -- honestly, it's a very fluid race in Iowa. These caucus goers take this very seriously.
HEMMER: In the short time I have left, last night in the debate you were hit pretty hard by Carol Moseley Braun, saying that you voted in favor too many times of proposals that walked right in line with the White House.
How do you differentiate yourself, then, from the president right now in what you see as a different America if elected president?
EDWARDS: Well, first, those facts -- those facts were not accurate. It turns out that, at least according to the "Congressional Quarterly," that I think I was first among the United States senators over the last year in voting against what President Bush wanted to do.
But beyond that, and more importantly, I just have a very different vision of this country. I mean what happens is President Bush is perpetuating the two Americas we have in this country, you know, two tax systems, two health care systems, two educational systems. And my whole campaign is about building one America with very specific ideas about how to accomplish that.
HEMMER: Senator, thanks.
We'll see you in Iowa in about a week's time.
Appreciate your time today.
John Edwards in Des Moines.
EDWARDS: I look forward to seeing you, Bill.
HEMMER: OK.
We'll also talk with John Kerry next hour here on AMERICAN MORNING, when he joins us live from the same state.
Stay tuned for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
